VENGEANCE BELONGS TO THE LORD ONLY

VENGEANCE BELONGS TO THE LORD ONLY

In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.  And about ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died. —I Samuel 25:37-38

And David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. —I Samuel 26:10

            We are told “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35, 41; Isaiah 1:24, 63:4; Ezekiel 25:14; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). It is a very clear command that we are not to take vengeance on anyone. It is the Lord’s place to carry that out, not ours.

            David was going to take out vengeance on Nabal after Nabal refuse to help David with provisions for his men, even though David had protected Nabal’s sheep and servants in the wilderness. David was on his way to wipe out Nabal’s entire household, but Abigail, Nabal’s wife, got wind of what was happening and went out to meet David with provisions and to request of him not to do this thing. David realized it was the Lord who sent Abigail to keep him from carrying out vengeance.

            In the morning, after Nabal was waking up from a drunken stupor, Abigail told Nabal what she had done. The emotional response he had to what she said caused him a heart issue. Then we are told that “about ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.” The Lord carried out vengeance on Nabal.

            David realized this with King Saul as Saul sought to kill him. Either “the Lord would strike” Saul “or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish.” So David did not seek vengeance on Saul, but left Saul’s outcome with the Lord.

            These are good lessons for us. When people have done evil things to us that cannot be resolved, leave the outcome in the Lord’s hands. He is the only one that can change a person and He is the only one that is to carry out vengeance if indeed that is what is needed. As David left situations in the hands of the Lord, situations where he sometimes felt like taking vengeance into his own hands, the Lord took care of the situations according to His will. We should do the same. Pray for the situation & leave the situation in His hands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyUnpjd3TPU

Dear Father in those situations where I feel like taking out vengeance on someone please help me to look to You and trust You for the situation. This is what I am to do and I want to do this and not carry out vengeance myself. Yes, please help me to rest in You and to trust You in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it!